Daniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox (born July 23, 1938) is an American character actor, singer-songwriter, and storyteller. His best-known roles include Drew Ballinger in Deliverance (1972), George Apple in Apple's Way (1974-75), Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Richard "Dick" Jones in RoboCop (1987) and the villain Vilos Cohaagen in Total Recall (1990). Cox wrote a book about his experience filming Deliverance for the movie's 40th anniversary in 2012. He plays over 100 shows at festivals and theaters each year with his band.

Contents

Personal life[edit]

Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette (née Rucker) and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy.[1][2] He grew up in Portales, New Mexico. Cox met his wife, Mary, when in high school and they married in 1960.[3] Cox graduated from Eastern New Mexico University in 1963 with a double major in Theater and Speech Correction. Mary died in 2006, 50 years to the day of their first date. Cox often talks about her during his music performances.[3][4]

Acting career[edit]

As an actor, Cox made his debut in the acclaimed 1972 film Deliverance. In one scene he plays the instrumental "Dueling Banjos" on his guitar with a banjo-playing mountain boy, played by child actor Billy Redden. He was hired for the role because he could play the guitar.[5] Cox published a book in 2012 in which he recounted his experiences making the film.[6]

In the period 1974-1975, Cox starred in the short-lived CBS family-oriented dramatic series entitled Apple's Way, created by Earl Hamner, who created The Waltons. He also appeared as Mr. Webb in a television production of Our Town. In 1977, he appeared in the episode "Devil Pack" from the series Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (known in the United Kingdom as Twist in the Tale).[7] In 1984, 12 years after the movie Deliverance, Cox once again played a member of a small group of men who are, this time, lost in the Nevada desert and being chased by bloodthirsty locals in the low-budget film Courage.[8]

One of Cox '​s roles was that of Dr. John Gideon during the final season of the television medical drama St. Elsewhere. Cox's character was famously mooned by Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders) at the end of the third episode of season six.

In 1990, Cox co-starred as Los Angeles Police Chief Roger Kendrick in the short-lived Cop Rock, presenting a striking physical resemblance to the real-world incumbent, Chief Daryl Gates. He also appeared as the antagonistic Mars Administrator Vilos Cohaagen in Total Recall the same year.

Cox played Walter Kenney in Dexter season six episode three ("Smokey and the Bandit").[13]

Music career[edit]

Despite having a successful acting career, Cox said that music now comes first in his life. He turns down about 90% of the acting jobs he is offered in order to play over 100 shows at festivals and theaters each year.[14][15] He is regularly accompanied by Radoslav Lorković (piano, accordion) and T Bruce Bowers (fiddle, mandolin).[16] Cox also leads a musical tour to Ireland each year. [17]